KARACHI: Indiscriminate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by Israel in its Gaza invasion led to devastating consequences for civilians and essential infrastructure, a senior security expert has said.

In a lecture on ‘AI in the Gaza conflict, operational use, ethical dilemmas and global implications’ at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist), former director general of Federal Investigation Agency Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said the use of AI led to immense human sufferings and widespread devastation.

“Hospitals, educational institutions and residential buildings have been destroyed, resulting in civilian fatalities,” said Mr Abbasi, who has also served as IG police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

“Civilian casualties are staggering as thousands of people, including women and children, have been killed. Human Rights Watch contends that digital targeting tools may increase, rather than decrease, the threat to civilians due to ‘flawed’ or ‘overstretched’ surveillance systems.

Says armed forces must distinguish between combatants and civilians in conflicts

“There is no legal accountability as well. Under international humanitarian law, armed forces must distinguish between combatants and civilians and take precautions but critics argue that AI can hardly make these distinctions.”

He said that Gaza conflict showed that the digital realm has emerged as the newest battleground in modern warfare, transforming traditional concepts of conflict, sovereignty and security.

He said that civil society, human rights organisations and international institutions should ensure implementation of a host of measures like ensuring human control, oversight, internal legal frameworks, transparency, accountability and humanitarian safeguards to avoid risks to humans and essential infrastructure.

“Cyber warfare represents an evolution in military strategy that transcends physical boundaries, operating in a domain where attacks can be launched anonymously, with minimal resources, yet they can cause devastating consequences.”

He said the advent of the internet and widespread digitalisation has created a new dimension of warfare that operates beyond the traditional domains of land, sea, air and space.

Cyber warfare involved the use of digital attacks against computer systems, networks and information technology infrastructure damage, or gain unauthorised access to achieve military or strategic objectives, he added.

“Unlike conventional warfare, cyber operations can be conducted remotely, often with plausible deniability, and may target both military and civilian infrastructure.”

He said the origins of cyber warfare can be traced to the Cold War era and the first documented cyber operations emerged in the 1990s.

Abbasi observed that increasing digitalisation of critical infrastructure has created unprecedented vulnerabilities. “Power grids, water systems, transportation networks, and healthcare facilities are now connected to the internet — targets for cyberattacks with real-world consequences.”

He cited a recent attack on Ukraine’s power grid, which left approximately 230,000 people without electricity during winter, demonstrating the potential humanitarian impact of cyber operations.

Second, asymmetric nature of cyber warfare challenges traditional power dynamics in international relations, he said.

Nations with limited conventional military capabilities can develop sophisticated cyber arsenals at relatively low cost, potentially enabling them to project power against stronger adversaries.

Finally, cyber warfare raises new legal and ethical questions about the application of existing laws of armed conflicts.

The former FIA head pointed out that state-sponsored cyber activities have increased by 170% between 2015 and 2024, with critical infrastructure and government institutions being the primary targets.

Regarding financial impact, he said it was estimated that state-sponsored attacks caused $27.5 billion losses in 2023 alone globally.

In South Asia context, Mr Abbasi said the Pakistan-India cyber conflict demonstrated how cyber operations could function as both an extension of conventional power projection and as a way to conduct activities below the threshold of armed conflict.

He said the May 10, 2025 attack highlights how cyber operations are increasingly targeting economic systems rather than just government or military targets, blurring traditional distinctions between civilian and military objectives.

“Cyber warfare has emerged as a defining security challenge of the digital age, fundamentally altering the nature of conflict between states and non-state actors,” opined the expert.

He suggested that nations should develop clear escalation ladders and communication channels to manage cyber incidents and prevent unintended escalation to conventional conflict. He stresses the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025